1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is an interactive, web-enabled method and system for educating solicitors, donors, participants and other persons involved in a fundraising campaign about the campaign""s mission. More specifically, the invention is a web-based mission certification quiz to educate various persons involved in a fundraising campaign. The present invention provides a convenient means for educating persons involved in a campaign about the campaign""s mission, which can result in increased donations.
2. Related Art
This application is related to a prior application titled xe2x80x9cSYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTERACTIVE FUNDRAISING OVER A WIDE AREA NETWORKxe2x80x9d, filed Dec. 12, 2000,.The subject matter of the prior application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Charitable, nonprofit and other organizations often raise money through fundraising campaigns. It is necessary that these organizations effectively communicate their fundraising mission to potential donors. It is also important that solicitors that seek donations on behalf of the organizations are well informed about the campaign""s mission.
Solicitors who are not well informed about the campaign""s mission cannot effectively communicate with potential donors. Solicitors often face many questions from potential donors about the campaign""s mission. If solicitors are unable to provide satisfactory answers to the queries, potential donors will be skeptical about the fundraising mission. Also, if solicitors appear to be not well informed about the mission, potential donors may wonder whether the solicitor represents a legitimate charity. An ill-informed solicitor will be less successful in convincing a potential donor to make a contribution. Thus, it is necessary that solicitors and others involved in a fundraising campaign are well informed about the mission and are able to provide satisfactory answers to all queries.
It is also believed that potential donors who are well informed about the campaign""s mission are more likely to make a charitable donation. Thus, if potential donors can be efficiently and conveniently educated about the campaign""s mission, they can be more influenced to make a donation. Thus, it is desirable to educate potential donors about the campaign""s mission.
There are usually no convenient and user-friendly means for educating solicitors, donors and others about a fundraising campaign""s mission. For example, there are usually no convenient and user-friendly process to educate participants of charity walks, runs, biking events, and other fundraising events, except for providing literature in the form of handouts and brochures. However, recipients of the handouts are often not motivated to read the information. Also, people often join these events for athletic reasons, and need to be enticed to learn about the charitable cause.
Lack of user-friendly and convenient means for educating about the campaign""s mission often results in ill-informed solicitors and donors. It is believed that solicitors will be more successful in fundraising if they are well informed. Also, it is believed that potential donors will be more willing to donate to charitable causes if they are well informed about the mission.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method and system by which nonprofit, charitable and other organizations can effectively communicate their fundraising mission to potential donors. There is a need for a method and system by which such organizations can educate potential donors about various causes that benefit from their support. There is also a need for a method and system that educates solicitors that seek donations on behalf of the organizations about the campaign""s mission. There is a need for a method and system that assures potential donors that the solicitors are well informed and represent legitimate organizations.
The invention is a web-based mission certification quiz for educating various persons involved in a fundraising campaign. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a web-based method for educating solicitors, donors, participants and others involved in a fundraising campaign about the campaign""s mission, includes providing, on a website, information about the campaign""s mission, taking, on the website, a mission certification quiz by answering one or more questions, wherein the questions are designed to test a participant""s knowledge about the campaign""s mission. The method further includes determining a final score based on the number of correct answers, and creating a mission certificate on the website based on the final score.
In one embodiment, the method includes starting a timer prior to presenting the question, the timer being set for a predetermined amount of time allowed for each question, providing a question, selecting an answer to the question, wherein the answer is selected from one or more answers provided, and if a correct answer is selected before the expiration of the timer, then only awarding a score for each correct answer. The method further includes determining if there are additional questions in the quiz, and if there are additional questions in the quiz, then answering the questions, and if the are no remaining questions in the quiz, then determining a final score, determining a grade on the basis of the final score, and indicating the final score and the grade on the mission certificate. In one embodiment, the invention allows participants to retake the test in order to improve their score. In one embodiment, the method allows a participant to return to a previous question even if he had previously selected an incorrect answer for that question.
The method further includes determining one or more top performers among the plurality of participants of the mission certificate quiz based on the final scores, and acknowledging the top performers. The method further includes determining, if a correct answer is received before the expiration of the timer, the amount of time taken to answer the question. The method further includes awarding prizes or sweepstakes to the top performers.
In one embodiment, teams comprising a plurality of participants may participate in an event organized to raise money for a charitable cause. The participants can take the mission certification quiz, and the teams, rather than individual participants, are ranked based on the scores. The system recognizes the top teams based on the scores. In one embodiment, the system measures the amount of time taken to answer the questions, and recognizes the top performers (individuals and teams) based on the amount of time taken to complete the quiz.